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City car owners told: Lock those doors

By Evan Lips, elips@lowellsun.com

Updated:
03/20/2013 06:35:16 AM EDT

LOWELL -- Deputy Police Superintendent Arthur Ryan Jr. reminded residents Tuesday morning to lock their car doors or risk the consequences following a night in which more than 20 unlocked-car break-ins were reported in the city's Lower Highlands neighborhood.

Officers Christopher Osborn and Timothy Roussell arrested a suspect, Shaw Street resident Shawn Lake, 21, and charged him with one count of breaking and entering into a motor vehicle.

Ryan said residents on Oakland and Robbins streets started calling police at around 1 a.m. Tuesday to report spotting suspicious activity.

It's still unclear whether Lake was responsible for all of the reported break-ins.

Ryan said thieves typically canvass neighborhoods searching for unlocked cars. Once inside, they'll empty vehicles of any loose change and, if possible, poke around the seats for iPhones, chargers, GPS devices or anything else that can be sold.

One typical response from residents who do not lock their cars, according to Ryan, is that the vehicle owner has nothing of value inside the car and would rather the thief not break a window or pry open a door.

"There's a risk involved with making a lot of noise and thieves typically won't smash open the window of a locked car if the payoff might only be some pocket change," he said.

Ryan added that it's also important for residents to report any thefts, regardless of whether it was just change or whether the car was unlocked.

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